# Whats the closest thing to cuban?



## CigarBoss (Jan 22, 2010)

What is the closest cigar in terms of flavor to a good ol' Cuban?
I have tried the Oliva V and Rocky Patel Old World Corojo and the Don Pepin Cuban Classic,Vegas Cubanas and JJ and they were fairly close. But I want to ask all you cigar smokers new and old, ONCE AND FOR ALL, whats the absolute closest(NON Cuban) cigar you've ever smoked to a Cuban cigar all around (flavor, Body etc)? It can be any price point, any brand and any availability.

Regards and Long Ashes!


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Nothing. There is a twang that only CC have. It's a product of countless factors including soil, seed, climate, that can't be duplicated. I'm not saying that there aren't other great cigars, but they're not the same.


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## K Baz (Mar 2, 2007)

Florida?

No really there will be things close to a cuban but they are still not close enough. Dr. Thunder might taste close to Dr Pepper but its still an imitation.

Smoke what you enjoy. If you like Cubans smoke them if you prefer Opus smoke those you like the Swishers - swish away.

You might come close to the cuban profile but its still just that - close.

PS there are a tonne of different tastes in the cuban spectrum - might have more luck if you looking for a cigar that tastes like a El Rey del Mundo instead of having it so broad as to say tasted like a cuban - no one wants something that tastes like a Guantanamera.


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## GunHand (Sep 20, 2009)

Key West! :hug:


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## pitbulljimmy (Aug 1, 2009)

Nothing. Thread closed.


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## Bill Brewer (Feb 25, 2009)

I think that most of Pepin's blends are close to a CC. Closest one I can think of is Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles or Angeles.


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## Schumi5 (Jan 25, 2010)

Got to agree with the previous posters here, nothing NC comes even close to a cuban. I do have a shipment of Padron 45th Anniversary Maduros and My Father #1's coming in next week so perhaps that will change my opinion, but nothing I have tried to this point can compare/compete with a Cuban cigar.


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## Nickerson (Mar 19, 2009)

I had some Taboo's before that I gave a few out to people on the 4th, and 2 of the guys said they are the closest thing to a Cuban they have ever had.


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## pomorider (Nov 14, 2009)

K Baz said:


> no one wants something that tastes like a Guantanamera.


I will take a Don Tomas over a Guantanmera every day.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

The short answer is, NOTHING. There is absolutely no, mass produced/major brand, out there that comes within a mile of tasting anything even remotely resembling a cuban cigar. Haiti, and The Bahamas are closer to Cuba than Florida. Neither of them can grow tobacco for squat! Whatever volcano erupted to create Cuba, was a one-shot-wonder. That soil occurs no where else.

That said, there is "a guy" who owns a B&M near me, who sells a line of cigars that are supposed to be perfect copies of their cuban namesakes. I've smoked them. I've gifted them to some very experienced smokers, even B&M owners. I cannot tell the difference. Neither can anyone I've gifted them to.

The seller says they are non-cuban. He gray-markets cubans. These cigars cost about the same as you would expect to pay for a Cuban in Cuba.

If indeed these cigars are "non-cuban" I am abso-freakin-lutely amazed by how they taste. If he is simply taking bands off of cuban cigars, I would not be surprised.


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## Nickerson (Mar 19, 2009)

Herf N Turf said:


> The short answer is, NOTHING. There is absolutely no, mass produced/major brand, out there that comes within a mile of tasting anything even remotely resembling a cuban cigar. Haiti, and The Bahamas are closer to Cuba than Florida. Neither of them can grow tobacco for squat! Whatever volcano erupted to create Cuba, was a one-shot-wonder. That soil occurs no where else.
> 
> That said, there is "a guy" who owns a B&M near me, who sells a line of cigars that are supposed to be perfect copies of their cuban namesakes. I've smoked them. I've gifted them to some very experienced smokers, even B&M owners. I cannot tell the difference. Neither can anyone I've gifted them to.
> 
> ...


I would love to give Cigar making a try. We have a spot out back where we make a garden with our neighbors every year. its about 12'-24' so nothing too big. But we gather all loose brush, Christmas Trees, branches, leaves, and other compost and burn it (no gas or accelerate other than news paper!) on where the garden will be. We also fertilize it and the till it with a rototiller. The soil here has risen about 7-8" over the past 6-7 years from doing this. Its dark dark brown nearly black. Can stick your hand in and come up with a fist full of worms (they love it). We just grow vegetables there now and they grow so fast its ridiculous.

Could probably make a nice patch of cigars then age them in a shed or something and roll them.

Seems like a good hobby.


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## thrasher64 (Jun 4, 2009)

Does this guy have a website or do mail order? I'd like to give some of these mystery sticks a try.



Herf N Turf said:


> The short answer is, NOTHING. There is absolutely no, mass produced/major brand, out there that comes within a mile of tasting anything even remotely resembling a cuban cigar. Haiti, and The Bahamas are closer to Cuba than Florida. Neither of them can grow tobacco for squat! Whatever volcano erupted to create Cuba, was a one-shot-wonder. That soil occurs no where else.
> 
> That said, there is "a guy" who owns a B&M near me, who sells a line of cigars that are supposed to be perfect copies of their cuban namesakes. I've smoked them. I've gifted them to some very experienced smokers, even B&M owners. I cannot tell the difference. Neither can anyone I've gifted them to.
> 
> ...


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## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

I have to add my voice to the chorus. While there are fine cigars out there from a number of countries, there is simply no matching a Cuban. In terms of flavor the cigars from Nicaragua probably come closest for those of us who cannot legally buy Cubans, but they aren't the same.


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## Tarks (Mar 3, 2009)

Bill Brewer said:


> I think that most of Pepin's blends are close to a CC. Closest one I can think of is Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles or Angeles.


What? You're crazy!!! :laugh:


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## ghe-cl (Apr 9, 2005)

Of course, there are lots of different Cuban cigars. I've had several machine made Cubans that were just plain awful. I'd say a Dutch Masters or White Owl would come close to matching them. There are some great Cuban cigars that I don't think can be duplicated, just like the best of those from Nicaragua or the D.R.


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## karmaz00 (Dec 5, 2007)

ummmm..simple answer. Nothing Close...Totally different world. as for DPG, there probley the furthest away fomr a CC.

When you get into CC more, thisanswer will come easy for ya. good luck. Happy Smoking


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## Austin_Smoker (Feb 11, 2010)

a cuban! :laugh:
View attachment 50018


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## MHT (Feb 1, 2010)

I'd say that the best answer would come from our forum members who can legally smoke Cuban cigars. Even in Cuba, I'm sure there are lousy cigars.


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## smokin nightly (Sep 9, 2009)

MHT said:


> I'd say that the best answer would come from our forum members who can legally smoke Cuban cigars. Even in Cuba, I'm sure there are lousy cigars.


I cant legally smoke them and I can tell you for sure there is nothing that comes close to this Party Short that I am smoking at the moment...:mischief:


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## Benji (Jan 10, 2010)

Lots of great NC's.. but none of them are the same.


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

Bill Brewer said:


> I think that most of Pepin's blends are close to a CC. Closest one I can think of is Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles or Angeles.


No disrespect. Everybody's taste buds are different, and I do see this comparison often. But I have never got that pepper blast from a Cuban that you get from a Pepin. IMO, Pepins aren't anything close to resembling Cubans.



Benji said:


> Lots of great NC's.. but none of them are the same.


 :tpd::tpd::tpd:


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

MHT said:


> I'd say that the best answer would come from our forum members who can legally smoke Cuban cigars. Even in Cuba, I'm sure there are lousy cigars.


I have a feeling you could get a ton of opinions from those who can't smoke Cubans legally as well.:spy:


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## bdw1984 (May 6, 2009)

MHT said:


> I'd say that the best answer would come from our forum members who can legally smoke Cuban cigars. Even in Cuba, I'm sure there are lousy cigars.


1. There are plenty of us who "can't" legally smoke Cuban cigars that have hundreds if not thousands of them resting comfortably in our American homes.
2. You're right, Cuba produces some cigars that are quite lousy. Do a search for Guantanamera. 
3. Nothing made outside of Cuba tastes like a Cuban. DPG, Tatuaje, etc. while very good, do not mirror a Cuban profile. To me, they are much more in-your-face and lack the subtlety and finesse that CC's do. Not to say that they're bad, I have many boxes, they are just different.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Maybe some cigars have similar aspects of their flavor profile to certain cubans, but you don't really get that cuban earthiness/twang with anything that wasn't grown in Cuba. A member here once told me the closest they've had to it was a Tatuaje J21, which had a little bit of that distinct earthiness to it, I smoked one and found it to be somewhat true, at least to my taste. Somewhat.

That said, most people who adamantly state how different/better cubans are would probably not get a passing grade on a blind CC/NC taste test, the goal being to tell which was which. :2 I think there was one of those on here at some point.


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## cigarytx (Aug 19, 2011)

Herf:: Just curious what B&M you are talking about, I think I may have some of those cigars....


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## cigarytx (Aug 19, 2011)

Just wondering what B&M you are talking about??


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Call me crazy, I will take a nice anejo, or a padron anniversary over any cuban I have smoked. The only cuban I really, really enjoyed is the Partagas Lusitania. But at the end of the day, I wouldn't care if Partagas stopped making cigars.


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## neil (Aug 21, 2011)




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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

bpegler said:


> Nothing. There is a twang that only CC have. It's a product of countless factors including soil, seed, climate, that can't be duplicated. I'm not saying that there aren't other great cigars, but they're not the same.


TWANG DID SOMEONE SAY TWANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE TWANG IS THE THANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND YOU AIN"T FINDING IT ANYWHERE BUT IN A CUBAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE SEARCH FOR TWANG ENDS THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SorrY DidN'T MEaN To YEll DaMN Batteries IN thE KeyBOard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## chasingstanley (Jan 24, 2011)

I've smoked my fair share of CC's and definately nothing comes close..
Not that NC's are bad, but it's just something you can't replicate.


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## socalocmatt (Dec 22, 2010)

LOL Neil. Nice catch but I prefer:


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> SorrY DidN'T MEaN To YEll DaMN Batteries IN thE KeyBOard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Tony, your daughter called. She wants her adolescent girl typing style back.


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## Engineer99 (Aug 4, 2011)

There is a reason that Cubans are the most sought after cigars in the world. There are lots of excellent non Cuban cigars on the market, but it's impossible to recreate something with elements indigenous to just one place on the planet.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Tony, your daughter called. She wants her adolescent girl typing style back.


Right now the only thing she wants is this $1,500 puppy. I am trying to talk her out of it and failing miserably. Oh well there's my cigar budget for this month lol!


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## Slowpokebill (Nov 29, 2008)

One of these days I'm going to have to find out what all the fuss is about when it comes to twang or am I better off staying dumb and happy smoking NCs.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Stay dumb my brother its a hell of a lot cheaper!


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## joshbhs04 (May 30, 2011)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Right now the only thing she wants is this $1,500 puppy. I am trying to talk her out of it and failing miserably. Oh well there's my cigar budget for this month lol!


$1500 cigar budget???? For a month.... You can't be serious Tony I'm jealous!


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

*If anybody's familiar with Beluga, Sevruga and Osetra Sturgeon caviar you'll notice the difference in flavor from American paddlefish raised in some Tennessee tank somewhere being passed off as the former. However, do not despair my fellow "twang" seeker of that product outside of Cuba. There IS some honorable mention of some cigar brands out here that may come slightly to nearly close IMHO: Nick Perdomo's Gran Cru Corojo wrapper cigar; Hendrik Kelner's "Original Cubans" that come in bundles offered on CI's website and they are NOT bad!!! I read an article in a cigar magazine about a conversation with a man regularly enjoying his Cubans who said that as far as he was concerned Vengeance Maduro cigars came closest to Havanas in flavor. I had one and to ME - meh:ask: Also, even though it's just advertising ploy obviously, JR Cigars' "Cuban Alternatives" in their supposed take-off of Behike 52, 54, & 56 and Limited Edition offers are also - NOT BAD, considering. What you'll notice is that the great bulk of these cigars that "come mighty close" are from Nicaragua. The Phillipine's offer of Fighting Cock cigars (I s'pose now out of production) had a flavor close to a weaker version of Cuban Bolivar, as was described by one of the reviewers in Smoke Magazine in the late '90's. And finally, for me Tatuaje Miami cigars with the plain brown band are VERY close. You may or may not find the EXACT flavor profile of a Cuban but you can acquire basic properties and qualities that can and do satisfy in the absence of an authentic Habano (when necessary). :2


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## Darth Vader (Jan 30, 2012)

Nothing NC is even close to a Cuban they are in a league of there own and thats a damn good thing.

I dunno why Americans hold Cubans in such a high regard and would want to smoke something thats "like a Cuban" i normally smoke both Cuban and non-cuban sticks and i like the change of pace a NC gives me as its got a completely different smell,feel,taste and normally better construction than Cubans i would much rather go and smoke a great AF or padron instead of fooling myself into thinking this is "like" a cuban.

So IMHO there is nothing "like" a Cuban in a NC cigar they are two completely different things.


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

Darth Vader said:


> ...I dunno why Americans hold Cubans in such a high regard and would want to smoke something thats "like a Cuban" i normally smoke both Cuban and non-cuban sticks and i like the change of pace a NC gives me as its got a completely different smell,feel,taste and normally better construction than Cubans i would much rather go and smoke a great AF or padron instead of fooling myself into thinking this is "like" a cuban...


I agree. There was a time when Cuban cigars were better than most other cigars available, and they were also the most prevalent cigars in the US. After all these years the families that left Cuba to set up shop elsewhere have developed tobaccos that rival and IMO exceed the quality and taste of some Cuban cigars. There are some phenomenal Cuban cigars but there are also many dogs, same as with NC's. I simply don't believe Cuban cigars hold the title as best in the world anymore. They are definitely unique in their flavor profiles but "better" is a measure of personal taste and as pointless an exercise and arguing whether French or California wines are better. I prefer variety in my life, but to each his own...


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Well said David
Sometimes I smoke a Cuban sometimes a non and both are great. I will say though not many nons will equal a very well aged Cohiba. Yum That said I concur


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## Wildone (Dec 19, 2009)

View attachment 64912

Cubans
View attachment 64913

or Dominicans are both good .... But its up to your Taste !


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## KcJason1 (Oct 20, 2010)

Try a Buena Vista... Very similar to a Cuban!


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## alstare2000 (Jan 1, 2012)

lol love them both 



Wildone said:


> View attachment 64912
> 
> Cubans
> View attachment 64913
> ...


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

joshbhs04 said:


> $1500 cigar budget???? For a month.... You can't be serious Tony I'm jealous!


Well not really for one month or every month sometimes not always. The problem is that we Cuban cigar junkies compare everything to the price of cigars lol!
Why me and BullMan were just talking about it today i said $1,500 for a dog his reply" Damn that's 5 boxes of CORO"S" I catch myself doing it all the time you will see one day young fella. When your at it a while.


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## tpharkman (Feb 20, 2010)

Darth Vader said:


> I dunno why Americans hold Cubans in such a high regard and would want to smoke something thats "like a Cuban" i normally smoke both Cuban and non-cuban sticks and i like the change of pace a NC gives me as its got a completely different smell,feel,taste and normally better construction than Cubans i would much rather go and smoke a great AF or padron instead of fooling myself into thinking this is "like" a cuban.


I am not exactly sure which Americans you are talking about but the ones in the know spend no time at all trying to find nc's which taste like cc's. I enjoy both and imagine I always will.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

bpegler said:


> Nothing. There is a twang that only CC have. It's a product of countless factors including soil, seed, climate, that can't be duplicated. I'm not saying that there aren't other great cigars, but they're not the same.


I guess if you can resurrect a thread, I can resurrect my response.

By twang, I mean the barnyard (think horse manure) flavor that is pronounced in many Havanas.

I do think it's interesting that there are no threads on which cigar most resembles a Dominican.

I have enormous respect for many NCs, but my heart is in Havana.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

bpegler said:


> I guess if you can resurrect a thread, I can resurrect my response.
> 
> By twang, I mean the barnyard (think horse manure) flavor that is pronounced in many Havanas.
> 
> ...


I like TWANG very much nothing like it exists in any thing non Cuban.
As far as resemblance that's because Cubans are often imitated in their non Cuban homages but never duplicated


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

bpegler said:


> ...I do think it's interesting that there are no threads on which cigar most resembles a Dominican...


I'd guess that's because Dominicans (Nicaraguans etc.) are readily available, no forbidden fruit factor...


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## tpharkman (Feb 20, 2010)

bazookajoe said:


> I'd guess that's because Dominicans (Nicaraguans etc.) are readily available, no forbidden fruit factor...


I think in Bob and Tony's case we can safely assume the cc is no longer forbidden fruit to them. I am sure they possess more legitimate and authentic cc's than most countries in the Caribbean which consistently draw cruise ship after cruise ship. They don't need me to speak for them so I will speak from my heart and my perspective, I smoke all kinds of cigars, but I most often acquire boxes from only one island.


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

bazookajoe said:


> I agree. There was a time when Cuban cigars were better than most other cigars available, and they were also the most prevalent cigars in the US. After all these years the families that left Cuba to set up shop elsewhere have developed tobaccos that rival and IMO exceed the quality and taste of some Cuban cigars. There are some phenomenal Cuban cigars but there are also many dogs, same as with NC's. I simply don't believe Cuban cigars hold the title as best in the world anymore. They are definitely unique in their flavor profiles but "better" is a measure of personal taste and as pointless an exercise and arguing whether French or California wines are better. I prefer variety in my life, but to each his own...


I only just read through this thread & had a reply forming until I got to your post David, then any reply I could make became superfluous. :thumb:


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

tpharkman said:


> I think in Bob and Tony's case we can safely assume the cc is no longer forbidden fruit to them. I am sure they possess more legitimate and authentic cc's than most countries in the Caribbean which consistently draw cruise ship after cruise ship. They don't need me to speak for them so I will speak from my heart and my perspective, I smoke all kinds of cigars, but I most often acquire boxes from only one island.


Don't disagree with any part of that Thad-my comment was a response to Bob mentioning that people often ask about Cuban taste equivalents but not NC's, not questioning Bob or Tony's (or anyone else's) dedication to Cuban leaf. I like them too, just don't think they would be as much of a topic if they were legally available everywhere.


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## BMack (Dec 8, 2010)

It's a unique flavor for sure, Indonesian cigars also have a distinct flavor(although not the same). 

Tony Alvarez is probably the CLOSEST but there's nothing like a CC with a few years of age on it.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

bazookajoe said:


> Don't disagree with any part of that Thad-my comment was a response to Bob mentioning that people often ask about Cuban taste equivalents but not NC's, not questioning Bob or Tony's (or anyone else's) dedication to Cuban leaf. I like them too, just don't think they would be as much of a topic if they were legally available everywhere.


My thought is this. If not for the embargo, cigars from the DR and Central America would be tiny footnotes in the cigar world. Clearly that's no longer the case, but it certainly was pre embargo.

I am past the forbidden fruit aspects of any cigars, and simply have my opinion shaped by my experience. I respect that others may have different opinions.

As to the quality of post revolution Cuban cigars, it suffered greatly during the cigar boom. That was true of most cigars during that time. An exception was the Fuente family, who managed to keep their quality standards.

Current Havanas, and really everything post '02, are extraordinary again. The past few years may be as good as anything to have come off the island.

I'm not sure that the same improvement can be found in the other great cigar producing regions.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

bpegler said:


> My thought is this. If not for the embargo, cigars from the DR and Central America would be tiny footnotes in the cigar world. Clearly that's no longer the case, but it certainly was pre embargo.
> 
> I am past the forbidden fruit aspects of any cigars, and simply have my opinion shaped by my experience. I respect that others may have different opinions.
> 
> ...


I must piggy back on this please indulge this old snobbery gentleman me.
If it were not for the embargo there would be no non Cuban cigar market.
Even cigars rolled in the states and other parts of the world were rolled with Cuban leaf.
The non Cuban market was created to support Americans thirst for cigars period.
To answer the original posters question no cigar in the world is like a Cuban.
Just like no other woman in the world can be a Marilyn Monroe R.I.P.
These threads and no offense to the original poster or any that have posted.
Are like cello on cello off or Kitty Litter vs beads threads.
In other words its all a matter of personal opinion.
You are free to believe what you like that is the beauty of freedom.
Peace my brothers!


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

Milhouse said:


> Call me crazy, I will take a nice anejo, or a padron anniversary over any cuban I have smoked. The only cuban I really, really enjoyed is the Partagas Lusitania. But at the end of the day, I wouldn't care if Partagas stopped making cigars.


Blasphemy!!


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

Darth Vader said:


> Nothing NC is even close to a Cuban they are in a league of there own and thats a damn good thing.
> 
> I dunno why Americans hold Cubans in such a high regard and would want to smoke something thats "like a Cuban" *i normally smoke both Cuban and non-cuban sticks and i like the change of pace a NC gives me as its got a completely different smell,feel,taste and normally better construction than Cubans i would much rather go and smoke a great AF or padron instead of fooling myself into thinking this is "like" a cuban.
> 
> So IMHO there is nothing "like" a Cuban in a NC cigar they are two completely different things.*


*
I agree with the highlighted part of this. It's good to have the variety, but always nice to come back to a good ol Cuban. (cigar, that is)*


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## Darth Vader (Jan 30, 2012)

bazookajoe said:


> I'd guess that's because Dominicans (Nicaraguans etc.) are readily available, no forbidden fruit factor...


Come to England and say this i would say 95% of the NC brands dont exist over here and those that do have a very small selection for a very large pricetag.

Not so much forbidden just hard and expensive to get hold of.


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## thegoldenmackid (Mar 16, 2010)

Not to get back on topic, but four pages and no one mentioned Curivari?

That's the closest thing I've ever had, and it's consistently damn close you know, without the whole sickness/plugged problem that seems a bit more prevalent in a certain island.*

*Before anyone jumps on me, obviously the DR, Honduras and Nicaragua have their issues, but at similar prices, one country is king when it comes to construction and fermentation issues.


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## corpsegrinder (Jan 7, 2012)

Cigar noob here so I can only go by what I've read and was told.. cuban crafters CONTRABAND. Personally all I can say is that I had one of those and they're fantastic.
The story behind the cigar as described by CC is amusing.


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## Saint Jimbob (Aug 21, 2008)

Eh, Cuba. Other than not being able to buy them here in the US, what's so special about them, really? I've smoked a dozen, most have a 'twang' that aren't duplicated by cigars from other countries. But why should they? Nicaragua grows incredible, delectable tobacco, and they roll much better than the CC counterparts. Honduras is up there too, with their own tasty, high-quality cigars, and the D.R. too. I don't understand why they bother chasing the Cuba flavor, when the tobaccos they grow, and the cigars they roll, are as good or better than ones from Cuba.

Would I turn my nose up at a Boli? No. But if I'm in a mood for an Oliva V maddie or a Fuente Anejo, I'll gladly go with the latter.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

The OP was asking for NC's that were similar to CC's.

Let not turn this into another NC vs CC thread.....


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## Saint Jimbob (Aug 21, 2008)

asmartbull said:


> The OP was asking for NC's that were similar to CC's.
> 
> Let not turn this into another NC vs CC thread.....


Sorry, I read down the thread.. and forgot the original question.

The Cusano CC had some similar notes to an ERDM Choix Supreme. And a couple Tatuaje lines are in the neighbohood as well. After that, I've given up trying to compare everything to CC, and just enjoy the cigars on their own merits.


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## vink (Nov 29, 2011)

I started to smoke cigars by smoking cubans. After smoking all the ones I had I began to order some NC's and I must say I never found anything that taste similar.


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## wildturkey (May 10, 2011)

Great discussion.


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

I have only had in abundance mostly recent two year maybe a few three year olds and almost all have been great, some like the Sir Winnie 2010 knocked my socks off. Construction has been fine they may not all be purty but taste great. As far as nons that compare taste wise I have thought about it since this thread was started and just can't come up with anything they are each their own special nuancey type cigars  Okay it's a word in Oregon


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## Herby (Nov 26, 2011)

Just finished a Monte no 2 and as I enjoyed it was thinking about this post. I agree that no NC offers the distinct aroma and specific taste of Cuban tobacco. That aroma is so recognizeable and distinct that for me at least, there is no way of substituting for it. However, there are NCs that offer very similar flavor profiles as particular CCs. As I smoked the Monte no 2 I was reminded of two NCs in particular, the Cain Daytona, and the Oliva Serie V. All three Ive been recently smoking are torpedoes of similar size, and share similarities in their spice levels, coffee and chocolate flavor notes, complexity, and their creaminess. 

So while I agree that CCs offer a distinct flavor that can't be replicated, their flavor and spice profiles and smoking experience as a whole can be very reminiscent of various high quaility NCs. Of course this is all subjective, but this was my experience and train of thought tonight and wanted to share.


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

eventide said:


> Hey..Theres obviously no doubt cubans are awesome, some of the very best. But lets face it, even if you all think you know yourself, your taste and your mind right down to the core each one of you has a little bit of the forbidden fruit taste the sweetest syndrome even if you are totally and sub-consciously unaware of it. If the tables were turned and Nicaragua was the prominent cigar maker, known for it's great cigars and tradition and they folded on the U.S. in the 50's and Cuba has always been there all along pumping out quality cigars, believe you me we would be on this forum talking about how we're saving that Don pepin for new years or the birth of a child or I think that was a counterfeit Padron...you can just tell by the print on the label or its wrapper is to muddled. Remember the smokey and bandit scenario, when coors was illegal in some states in the 70's and people just freaked out trying to get there hands on a coveted six pack of coors....yeah thats right, coors. I'm pretty sure that most of you probably would choose another brew over coors any day of the week. So I think you all hear me on this, cubans rock, but I really do believe its taboo makes that bolivar taste just a tad bit better.


I disagree I say I love some of all of them. No forbidden mind games here.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

The OP's question was simple and straight forward.
Have some respect.

This is not CC vs NC....


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## eventide (Mar 1, 2011)

asmartbull said:


> The OP's question was simple and straight forward.
> Have some respect.
> 
> This is not CC vs NC....


Sorry I offended, not quite sure how. But I do feel like a dork realizing this idea has been brushed upon this thread throughout. Guess I'd better sift through before opening my yapper.


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## Engineer99 (Aug 4, 2011)

Just to throw in, last week I smoked a Tatuaje brown label Regio (robusto) that had a couple of years of age on it and for the first inch, I could swear there was a bit of twang. It seems the regular production Tats get ignored with all the special releases and the reason Tatuaje broke into the market was because of the stellar quality of the original brown labels.


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## QiCultivator (Feb 13, 2007)

Kind of interesting how some previous posts in this thread are missing...:suspicious:


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## eventide (Mar 1, 2011)

Engineer99 said:


> Just to throw in, last week I smoked a Tatuaje brown label Regio (robusto) that had a couple of years of age on it and for the first inch, I could swear there was a bit of twang. It seems the regular production Tats get ignored with all the special releases and the reason Tatuaje broke into the market was because of the stellar quality of the original brown labels.


That to me is one of the best blends on the market, It's strange hearing me use the word "underrated" for a tat but they kinda are.


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## corpsegrinder (Jan 7, 2012)

Threads like this also point out some possible good smokes.. keep it going.


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## mata777 (Jul 11, 2011)

Padilla Miami's smell very cuban-like in the box, but no cc twang. It's still an outstanding smoke. Cain 550 robustos also remotely remind me of CC's. I keep both CC's and NC's in my rotation.


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## dav0 (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm gonna say that the El Truinfador Lancero, the original release with the brown band give a flavor profile I find close to CC. Mind you, since it is a thin cigar, more of the taste comes from the wrapper leaf than on higher ring gauge cigars. It also doesn't have the complexity of a higher ring gauge. I've also never had a CC lancero (yet, I'm workin' on it) but thinking about all my NC smoking expierence this would be the closest I've come.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

dav0 said:


> I'm gonna say that the *El Truinfador Lancero*, the original release with the brown band give a flavor profile I find close to CC. Mind you, since it is a thin cigar, more of the taste comes from the wrapper leaf than on higher ring gauge cigars. It also doesn't have the complexity of a higher ring gauge. I've also never had a CC lancero (yet, I'm workin' on it) but thinking about all my NC smoking expierence this would be the closest I've come.


I agree.... my Cuban experience has been very limited, however, but I was given some reminders when I smoked that.

Tony Alvarez from Cuban Crafters somewhat--thanks to a good lead from another puff brother.

Surprisingly, Cuban Counterfeits from JR has a little twang reminder; faint, but there.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

For years I have tried to find a cigar that I could buy in a B&M that reminds me of 
any of my CC's and have had no luck...If you want something that taste like a cc, you
are going to have to obtain one................but that is a subject for a different forum...


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## Johnny Rock (Jun 25, 2010)

I've a had a few NC's fool me along with a couple of other BOTL's.

Here is the thread for your reading pleasure:

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/habanos-discussion/276129-search-twang.html

P.S....good luck in finding the NC's that were used in the exercise...they were fairly rare and aged. You might be better of just buying some CC's


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## dav0 (Feb 7, 2011)

Johnny Rock said:


> I've a had a few NC's fool me along with a couple of other BOTL's.
> 
> Here is the thread for your reading pleasure:
> 
> ...


Johnny, you reminded me of something, some Dominicans, specifically Perdomo Edicion de Silvio, FFOX or Don Carlos Anny's with years of age "sort of" remind me of CCs. Of course all three of those do come with a high price tag.

BTW, if this has been mentioned before in the thread I apologize, I just jumped in at page 5...... :dunno:


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Johnny Rock said:


> Here is the thread for your reading pleasure:
> 
> http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/habanos-discussion/276129-search-twang.html


Thanks for posting that, Johnny! Here's another one (that I participated in!): Nevermind, that link won't work for everyone.

Anyway, the cigars that I thought were similar (but still not close): Fonseca CXX corona, Para Japon, Quesada Espana corona, Illusione MK.


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## MitchellF (Oct 15, 2004)

"What is the closet cigar in terms of flavor to a good ol' Cuban?"

There is only one thing........Another Cuban!


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## QiCultivator (Feb 13, 2007)

I read that whole "Search For Twang" thread and it really shows how subjective taste is. There was one NC cigar that all 4 tasters thought was Cuban. There were several Cuban cigars where at least a couple of the tasters thought it was NC. And the country of origin varied wildly...Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras...might as well pick a number and roll a die. People are full of BS when it comes to taste. I think marketing and expectations based on brand play a huge role.


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## Mayne Street (Jan 21, 2011)

I think that Cabaiguans have some CC tendencies and are the closest thing to CCs, IMO. However, given the price point of Cabaiguans, I'll pay a slightly higher premium and buy some CCs.


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## cigarytx (Aug 19, 2011)

Anyone know what place Herf&Terf is talking about?


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## longburn (Mar 28, 2009)

I've been a cigar smoker for 30 years now, my dad was an avid smoker as well of both CC's and later domestics.He left me his humidors along with some pre embargos which I have enjoyed on occasion over the years. Those are gone now and I only have left some old clear havanas left now but I have yet to come across anything that matched the flavor profile of a CC. They just have a unique way of filling all of your senses at once with a unique flavor. If I could think of anything that even remotely comes close and this might only be due to haven't smoked one in several years and remembering it wrong it would be a Partagas 150 and then it was only a passing glance.More of the same warm feeling of contentment than actual flavor I think. But I think that type of enjoyment comes as much from choosing the right cigar for the right moment than flavor.


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## longburn (Mar 28, 2009)

No, but I would love to know. I'm always up to try something new. But if herf&terf is truly catching monster trout out of that hole I would love to try my hand at it.


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## longburn (Mar 28, 2009)

szyzk said:


> Thanks for posting that, Johnny! Here's another one (that I participated in!): Nevermind, that link won't work for everyone.
> 
> Anyway, the cigars that I thought were similar (but still not close): Fonseca CXX corona, Para Japon, Quesada Espana corona, Illusione MK.


Thank you so much for adding that link Andrew, that was incredible and i'm glad I got a chance to read it.


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## Stinkdyr (Jun 19, 2009)

Higher end DR cigars are a reasonably close fit to CC's. Don't expect them to taste exactly alike, but they are near enough in strength and flavor to substitute. The forbidden fruity seems to always taste sweeter, but it isn't.


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## rpb16 (Jan 4, 2012)

Pffft, obviously.......

Original Cubans - Cigars International


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## Thurm15 (Jan 28, 2005)

Taste is subjective. I've smoked more than my fair share of Cuban Cigars. Some were Great and some, Not so great. The Cuban Cigar is unigue from Cigars of other Origins but, That does not mean the others are less enjoyable. A Cuban Partagas Serie D 4 can be just as enjoyable to me as a 1964 Padron Anniversio Maduro Exclusivo. Are they different? Yes. It used to be that Cuban Cigars were in generally cheaper than a quality premium Non-Cuban if you knew where to shop. This is still true in many cases but, If your from the US you have to take the risk of seizure in to account when considering cost.


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## maxwell62 (Sep 12, 2010)

Having smoked cigars for a fair amount of time,at seventeen was a one a day,smoker.
Have smoked a goodly amount of cubans in the past,tho not of late,always of the opinion that cubans were the best in the world.Tho some dang good smokes come from other places.Now having smoked very few cubans over the last few years simply cannot compare NC to CC. There are some cuban brands and sizes that I've never even seen.
Quality cigars when they were being made in the Canary Islands were very good indeed,just one example of a non cuban that did not disappoint.One A mentioned in this thread, the "Fighting Cock' from the Philippines was flat out the worst cigar from that country I've ever smoked, amongst my five worst were an AVO and a high priced cuban,don't recall the brand of that one,purchased from very good tobacconist in Munich or Frankfort.It looked felt smelled great, but was
horrible. Yes just a single cigar but no other cuban I'd smoked back then was anything less than a good cigar,and I'm pretty certain I've smoked as many cubans as most on Puff.What cigar do I think is close to a cuban? well I've not smoked cubans for some time now so can't trust my recollection of those I did smoke to make a fair Comparison. I'm one who doesn't miss the cubans nowadays.Don Pepin Garcia,Tatuaje and a couple others produce cigars that satisfy me.


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## jazie (Feb 10, 2012)

I agree there are some disappointing cc's just like there are disappointing nc's. And some cc's are magical, and some nicaraguans are downright magical as well.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

longburn said:


> They just have a unique way of filling all of your senses at once with a unique flavor.


That's right. When they're on, they're on and really can't be matched. That's just the way it is. I guess the key is getting them when "they're on".

I had my first Por Larranaga sometime ago....it was like I was eating a dessert--creme brulee to be exact. As I smoked it, I imagined a chef preparing the creme brulee watching the ingredients that he put in. The imagery I got was fantastic.

The great ones give me imagery...

I am going to write about it later.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

But some might be surprised by this, but a La Finca Cazadores (3 years old) that I pulled out mimicked the cigar for the first 1/3, not as flavorful or intense, obviously, but it reminded me somewhat. Too bad the rest of it got one-dimensional on me LOL.

I got some light (but fleeting) what you would call "twang" from Cuban Counterfeits (of all the cigars!!) from JR. Not heavy, but flashes. Some say it reminds them a little of Jose Piedra (haven't had it, actually). 

Tony Alvarez (cuban crafters) has some decent stuff and some good tobacco.


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## sengjc (Nov 15, 2010)

This looks promising:

Victor Sinclair - Real Cuban Knock-Offs Montecristo No. 2


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## cigarytx (Aug 19, 2011)

Its rated 5/5 !!!!

lol


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

sengjc said:


> This looks promising:
> 
> Victor Sinclair - Real Cuban Knock-Offs Montecristo No. 2


"Vuelta Abajo Dominican Republic"????????? :ask:


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## roaster (Jun 12, 2011)

I 100% agree with the consensus of this thread, which seems to be that no cigars other than a Cuban cigar tastes like a Cuban cigar. However, I've found that the "twang" people talk about in reference to Cubans is also somewhat present in the DPG Black Label, most specifically in the figurado. Though it doesn't develop at-all like a true Cuban, when I hunger for that savory "twang" I often turn to the DPG Black... Just my two cents...


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